Reading lamp



NOV. 19, 1946. Q BROWN 2,411,189

READING LAMP Filed May 5, l'1945 Iyy.

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Patented Nov. 19, `1946 l UNITED STATES PATENT'` OFFICE READING LAMP Charles Inness Brown, Floral Park, N. Y. Application May 3, 1945, serial No. 591,709

A (o1. 24o- 81) l 1 Claim.

This invention pertains to improvements in reading lamps, of lshaded, incandescent lamp construction. l

A type of reading lamp commonly encountered, is that employing an opaque or translucent shade made of parchment or the like, and Which is of cylindrical, truncated or other open-ended configuration.

In `reading lamps of this type, as heretofore constructed, a great deal of the illumination from the incandescent bulbs is directed upwardly through the Vupper aperture of the shade onto the ceiling`,'and hence is effectively lost for read- Aing purposes. f l

I n accordance withrone aspectof my invention, I propose to greatly increase the reading illy onto the reading area, a partor all` of the il-` lumination heretofore directed through the top of the shade onto the ceiling, This dome Yis of smaller diameter or cross-sectional area than that of the lamp shade, and is arranged within and wholly surrounded by the shade, so that its presence is not observable when viewing the lamp from normal positions, i. e., in a horizontal or substantial horizontal direction. This dome is preferably made of glass or other vitreous material.

As an additional feature of the invention, I provide a light-diffusing screen, mounted below the incandescent lamp bulbs in the path of the downwardly directed illumination, and of such dimensions as to intercept and diffuse all or substantially all thereof. This diffusing screen is preferably so colored, for example, a light bluegreen, as to provide a so-called daylight illumination of the reading surface.

Thus, in essence, the preferred reading lamp construction of my invention comprises an upstanding support or base, usually of slender, columnar conguration, carrying at its upper end a socket member for reception of one or more incandescent lamp bulbs. The reecting dome,

yabove referred to, which is preferably translu- Also threaded into the upper portion of the sock'l et member, is a columnary extension member yprojecting upwardly beyond the dome, for suprected upwardly ontothe ceiling through the up'-` per aperture in the shade, thereby to provide a relatively soft amount of background illumination in theroom; while thermajor portion of the illumination is reflected downwardly bythe dome into the reading area,

As above stated, the lamp is preferably pro` vided with a translucent, lightfdiffusing screen, for providing the daylight illumination effect over the reading area, this screen comprising ordinarily a centrally apertureddisc of etched glassl or the like and of a light blue-green color. This screen is assembled on a metal supporting shelf carried by the lamp base below the socket member, whereby it intercepts and diffuses the downwardly directed illumination, while imparting the daylight illumination effect thereto by Virtue of its color-absorption properties.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in elevation and partly in axial cross-section, through the shade, dome and screen assembly of a preferred reading lamp construction in accordance with the invention Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken substantially at 2-2 of Fig. l, showing the lamp socket assembly with associated supporting means for the dome, shade and diffusing screen; while Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially at 3 3 of Fig. 2, to illustrate the manner of removably mounting the diiusing screen on the lamp-supporting base or standard.

Referring to the drawing, the assembly comprises` an upstanding lamp base or standard I, of

preferably columnar configuration as shown. As

upwardly beyond the collar 5 to provide a spindle. Assembled over this spindle in a sliding nt and resting on the collar 5, is a centrally apertured, disc-like, metal supporting member E, provided with a peripherally extending, upstanding shoulder 'I and a flanged portion 9 extending radially therefrom. The above-mentioned centrally apertured, light-diffusing screen 9 is assembled on this supporting member B, in such manner that thedisc rests on the outer anged portion 8 of supporting member 6, while the upstanding shoulder 'I thereof serves to center the diffusing screen.

For lockingly maintaining the diiusing screen in the assembled relation shown in Fig. A2, the metal supporting disc 6 has rotatably riveted thereto, as at Ill, a pair of lugs II of metal or equivalent, these lugs being rotatable inwardly about the pivotal points provided by the rivets I so as to lie wholly within the shoulder 'I of support 6, whereby the diffusing screen 9 may be assembled in the relation shown, the lugs I I being thereafter rotated outwardly, to lockingly engage the diffusing screen 9.

The metal supporting disc 6 is provided with a centralv collar portion I2 surrounding the spindle 2,. An incandescent lamp socket member I3 carrying one or more lamp sockets, such as I 4, is provided with alower supporting collar portion I5 adapted to fit slidably over the spindle 2, and torest upon lthe coll-ar portion I2 of the supporting disc 6. A screw IB threaded into the collar I5 land rictionally engaging the inner sleeve 2, serves vto secure the lamp socket member i3 and the metalV supporting disc 6 in assembled relation, as shown in Fig. 2. The lamp sockets I4 carry incandescent lamp bulbs, such as II.

The socket member I3 terminates at its upper end Vin a shoulder I8 and a threaded spindle I9 projecting upwardly therefrom. The above-men- -tioned light-reflecting and preferably translucent dome of glass or the like, is provided with acentral aperture for assembling the dome confcentrically over the spindle I9, the dome resting upon and being supported by the shoulder portion` I8 of the socket member I3. For preventing 4 breakage of the dome, a washer 2|, or rubber, synthetic resin, or the like, is interposed between the shoulder I8 and the dome 20. Likewise, a second and similar washer 22 is assembled on the spindle I9 above the dome 20, and a metal extension member 23, having at its lower end, an internally threaded recess, is screwed onto the spindle I9, as shown.

rIvhe extension member 213 terminates at its upper end in a shoulder 24' and athreaded spindle 25 of smaller diameteryonto which is'assembled a lamp shade 26 of parchment or the like, the

` shade being provided for this purpose with radially extending, wire supporting members 21, welded or otherwise integrally joined to a central sleeve member 28, which is centrally apertured to t slidably over the spindle 25, 4the shade being held in place by a knob 29 having a .threaded' recess threading onto the spindle 25. As stated the shade 26 may be opaque or translucent as desired, and is ordinarily of cylindricaL truncated spindle and resting on said collar, a centrally` apertured light-diffusing screen carried by said supporting disc, said supporting disc having means for loCkingly engaging said light-diffusing screena socket member for incandescent lampsV mounted on said spindle, a centrally apertured light-reiiecting dome carried by an upstanding spindle of said socket member, said dome spanning the socket member and incandescent Vlamp means carried thereby for reecting light .downwardly through said diffusing screen, an exten-4 sion member -threaded onto said socket spindle, and a lamp shade carried by said extension member, said lamp shade being spaced from and surrounding said dome. y

, CHARLES INNEss BROWN. 

